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To prepare for my company's off-site meeting in Greece, I decided
to reread one of my favorite books, The Virtues of War. It’s a
historical novel told from Alexander the Great’s point of
view.

Readers first meet Alexander when he was ruling just Macedon. The
story goes on to interweave his experiences at various points of
time as he recalls his childhood, ascension to power and reign as
a king over diverse territories.

Author Steven Pressfield does a wonderful job delving into
Alexander’s mind, providing an intimate look at how he
strategized for war, ruling and life.

The book is filled with wonderful quotes, insights and passages.
I've selected the following five passages that resonated with me:

Indicating me, the lad declared, “This man has conquered the
world! What have you done?” The philosopher replied without an
instant’s hesitation, “I have conquered the need to conquer the
world.” I laughed with delight.

On May 21, 2010, as a newly minted college graduate, I was ready
to take on the world. I had fulfilled my end of the bargain. I
had attended college, taken the right courses, got in debt and
finally graduated. My dream job should have been handed to me on
my lap exactly then, right?

Wow, was I in for a rude awakening. The world doesn’t care about
whether someone took San Diego State University's fight song
course or majored in English. It only cares about what that
person has contributed. What right did I have to selfishly demand
and demand when I had done nothing (yet) to contribute to the
betterment of those around me?

The world was here long before me. It did not owe me anything.
And it was only when I came to that realization that the world
could be mine.

Always attack. Even in defense, attack. The attacking arm
possesses the initiative and thus commands the action. To
attack makes men brave; to defend makes them timorous.

Pressfield’s Alexander was, of course, referring to war. But the
notion of attacking -- of being proactive instead of reactive --
can be applied to any facet of life. Earlier this year I assumed
a new role at my company. And part of what will determine my
success will be how proactive I am in anticipating challenges,
obstacles and opportunities.

I cannot simply wait for things (good or bad) to appear, I must
always be on the alert to advance the company's positioning and
defend against anything that may hamper or distract from the
realization of its goals.

Let us conduct ourselves in such a fashion that all nations
wish to be our friends and all fear to be our enemies.

This quote reminds me of my guidance counselor's advice before I
set out to study abroad in Barcelona: “Remember, you’re not just
representing yourself. You are representing your family, your
school and your country. Carry yourself accordingly."

Alexander’s reputation followed him as he trekked east. And
that's part of the reason why he came to defeat armies and rule
over people of different cultures and countries.

While Alexander’s definition of exploring abroad was a bit
different than mine, the message is clear: A person should always
be the best version of himself no matter where he is.

It takes years to build a reputation but only seconds to destroy
one.

He will say these acts were committed by men serving under
Alexander. Your misdeeds have blackened my name, for you are me
and I am you.

A successful leader always take responsibility for shortcomings
even if they were mistakes committed by others. The leader knows
that he or she could have done any number of things to prevent
them from happening.

Early in my sales career, I made the mistake of replying to an
email with a hot head. I immediately realized my mistake and
asked my manager for help, apologizing profusely along the way.

I expected to receive a reprimand but instead the sales director
stayed levelheaded, coaching me on what to do next time. He took
the blame for my error, saying that he should have prepared me
better, knowing that I would be dealing with a client who was
quite a live wire.

In the battlefield, Alexander did not have the luxury of time.
His course of action involved a series of small decisions that
would either lead to victory or defeat. Because of Alexander's
extensive experience and gift for warfare, the Macedonian army
often came out triumphant.

Working at a startup is similar in the sense that people have to
act quickly. Startups don't have the luxury to sit around and
debate extensively the next course of action. A common saying in
the tech world is that one has to "fail fast." That means that
startups must take a theory, test it either and iterate quickly
on the results. Only through this process can companies
eventually arrive at the right decision.

Pressfield’s Alexander seems to have the right balance of
introspection. For the most part he doesn’t let his feelings or
personal relationships distract him from his ultimate goal:
ruling the world.

The Virtues of War is a look into the minds of one of
history’s greatest leaders and well worth a read by anyone in the
business world.